Scrub-brush.



UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAGDALENA MARQUA, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. HARDING, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SCRUB-BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,777, dated October 21, 1902. Application mea February 15, 1902. saai No. 94.234.. (No man.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAGDALENA MARQUA,

a citizen of the United States ofxAmerica, andv 1o ments in brushes, and more especially in thatv class of brushes which are designed-for use;

in washing or scrubbing; and the objectV of the invention is` to provide a brush of this general class of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a strong and durable construction having simple and improved means for. preventing splashing or splattering of the soapy water or suds on surrounding objects or the person when the brush is in use, said means zo also serving in properly dipping or bailing the water from a bucket or the like, so that the use of a cloth for this purpose is obviated.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction and combination z 5 and arrangement of the several parts of the improved brush whereby certain important advantages are attained and thedevice is made comparatively simple and cheap and is otherwise adapted and made convenient and 3o efficient foruse, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel-features of the invention will be carefully defined'in thel claims.

In the accompanying drawings,which serve 3 5 to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a side elevation showing a .brush constructed according to my invention. 'Y Fig. 2 is a face view showing the bristle side of the said brush. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken transversely 4o through the improved brush; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified construction of the improved brush. Referring rst to Figs. l, 2, and 3, l indicates the back or stock of the improved brush, usually formed from wood and carrying on its under surface bristles 2 2 in a well-known way. The structure of the brush-back and the means for holding the bristles thereon form no part of my present invention and 5o may be varied as desired without departure from my invention.

As herein shown, the

brush has pointedends 3 3,'serving to permit of inserting the brush in corners and crevices; Abut it is evident that the ends may also be straight. Along the edges of the brush-back l are secured pendent portions of exible material, preferably formed from sheet-rubber or equivalent flexible and sufficiently elastic material, and these pendent portions form a skirt encircling the brush and 6o rextending down almost to the lower edge thereof, the lower en ds of the bristles 2 only beingleft uncovered, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These pendent portions comprise elongated side portions 4 4, formed from elongated 6 5 strips of sheet-rubber, and end portions 5 5,

.formed from shorter strips of sheet-rubber,

and both the side and end portions 4 4 and 5 5 are held to the brush-back l by means of nails or tacks 6, passed through their upper edges 7o and driven into the edges of the said back. The ends of the side portions 4 4 are lapped over outside of the corresponding ends of the end portions 5 5, as shown at 7 in the drawings, and the nails or tacks 6 at these points 75 are driven through both plies or thicknesses of the sheet-rubber into the edges of the brushback l. Bythis means vit will be seen that the side portions and end portions 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, form a continuous skirt extended 8o around the sides and lends of the brush and pendent below the brush-stock l almost to the lower ends of the bristles, and this contin nous skirt serves when the brush is in use to prevent splashing or spluttering of the Water orpsuds about, especially on the Wall decorations or hangings to deface them or on the person, and effectuallyholds the Water under the brush, where it will be of service in removing the dirt or stains and preventing 9o it from spreading about over the floor, woodwork, or elsewhere in use. The pendent skirt being extended around the entire edge of the improved brush also serves as a means for dipping or bailing water from a bucket or the like and applying such Water to the spot where it is desired to wash or scrub, this being accomplished by merely inverting the brush when placed in the bucket, so that the space inclosed within said skirt upon the un- 10o der side of the brush may be supplied or lled with water.

In the modified form, Fig. 4, I have shown a reinforcing thickness or beading 8 along the upper edge of the skirt, under which the attaching-nails 6 are inserted. This beading serves as a guard to prevent the nail-heads coming in contact with the Woodwork or person and provides against undue wear and consequent disengagement or parting of the skirt from the back by tearing away or the like.

The skirt being formed of sheet-rubber or other suitable yielding and sufficiently elastic material also serves to brace or strengthen the tufted bristles and prevents them from being broken down by pressure on the brush in scrubbing, and since the said skirt is preferably formed in parts or sections 4 4 and 5 5, lapped at their adjacent ends, it is evident that there is no liability ot' tearing the sheet material during the use of the brush, since the lapped ends of the several parts or sections will move upon each other to permit the required spreading of the bristles when the brush is pressed upon the iioor, woodwork, or elsewhere in use. It will also be seen that since the skirtis extended continuouslyaround the sides and ends'of the brush it affords a better hold for the hand thereon and its lower edges afford protection, to a certain extent, for the fingers and prevent inj ury thereto from splinters and the like. Also the said skirt permits of being partially iilledwith water when in inverted position, so that soap may be rubbed on the brush-surface While the water is held therein by the skirt, and there is no necessity for afteward frequent dipping of the brush in the water bucket or pail. By this means a very considerable economy in the use of soap is eiected, since after the soap is applied to the brush it is not Washed off and lost in the water contained in the pail, but may be at once applied to the door, Woodwork, or other surface for use. The skirt also adds materially to the stiffness of the bristles, so that the wear is upon the points of the bristles instead of upon their sides, (as is the case in ordinary brushes,) and in this way the life of the brush is considerably lengthened. It will also be obvious from the above description of my improvements that the brush is capable of considerable modication, and they ymaybe easilyapplied to street and other brooms without material departure from the. principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. A brush comprising a back provided with bristles on its under surface and a skirt of iiexible sheet material extended continuously around its sides and ends, the said skirt being secured at its upper part to the side and end edges of the brush-back, and having its lower part pendent below said back outside of and around the said bristles and forming within it a space for holding water when the brush is inverted and said skirt preventing splashing of the water when the brush is in use, substantially as set forth.

2. A brush comprising a back provided with bristles upon its under surface and a skirt of exible sheet material extended continuously around its sides and ends, the said skirt being secured at its upper part to the side and end edges of the brush-back and having its lower part pendent below said back outside of and around the said bristles and forming within it a space for holding water when the brush is in inverted position and said skirt preventing splashing of the water and being formed of a plurality of parts or sections the end portions of which are lapped upon each other and secured to the edges of the back, substantially as set forth.

3. Abrushcomprisingabackprovidedwith bristles upon its under surface and having a pendent skirt of flexible sheet material extended continuously around its sides and ends, the said skirt having a beading or reinforcing-guard around and along its upper edge, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 11th day of February, 1902.

MAGDALENA MARQUA.

Witnesses:

JOHN ELIAS J oNEs, L. M. JONES. 

